*By Alisha Haridasani* In a last-ditch effort to preserve unfettered access to online content, the Senate voted Wednesday to override the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to scrap net neutrality rules. All of the Democrats and three Republican Senators voted in favor of the resolution, which was proposed by Senator Ed Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts. "Republicans will rue the day they voted against middle class families, they will rue the day when they voted against the young people who are so familiar with the internet and you can be sure that we Democrats will remind the people of this vote over and over again," said Senator Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, who has his eye on the midterm elections in November. The resolution heads to the House, where it faces stronger opposition. Only 161 Representatives have publicly indicated that they would vote in favor of the resolution, 57 short of a majority. There is still a chance that lawmakers who want to preserve net neutrality could convince more of their colleagues to join them because the issue resonates widely with voters, said Andrew Wyrich, a politics staff writer at The Daily Dot. A number of [polls](http://thehill.com/policy/technology/364528-poll-83-percent-of-voters-support-keeping-fccs-net-neutrality-rules) show strong support ー among Democrats and Republicans ー for maintaining net neutrality. "A lot of people didn't think that it would happen in the Senate so I think anything can happen," said Wyrich. Net neutrality rules were put in place by the Obama administration in 2015, ensuring that internet service providers give equal access to all content online, regardless of who produces it or where it comes from. The F.C.C. decided in December to abandon the rules, and they officially expired last month. Supporters of net neutrality, including the tech companies Amazon, Google, Netflix, and Facebook, have said that stripping away these rules would give internet service providers the power to charge some websites or services more for speedier access. The chairman of the F.C.C., Ajit Pai, who has been a vocal critic of net neutrality, has said the rules hurt the companies that build the internet's infrastructure, and stifle innovation and limit investment. “It’s going to hurt the little guy,” said Representative Jim Langevin, a Democrat from Rhode Island. Net neutrality allows “small entrepreneurs to have the same amount of access that big companies do,” he said. Though a majority of Americans support net neutrality, Pai, the F.C.C. chairman, has said the rules were "heavy-handed." For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/senate-votes-to-keep-net-neutrality-rules).

Share:
More In Politics
Federal Reserve cuts key rate as shutdown clouds economic outlook
The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate Wednesday for a second time this year as it seeks to shore up economic growth and hiring even as inflation stays elevated. The move comes amid a fraught time for the central bank, with hiring sluggish and yet inflation stuck above the Fed’s 2% target. Compounding its challenges, the central bank is navigating without much of the economic data it typically relies on from the government. The Fed has signaled it may reduce its key rate again in December but the data drought raises the uncertainty around its next moves. Fed Chair Jerome Powell told reporters that there were “strongly differing views” at the central bank's policy meeting about to proceed going forward.
US and China say a trade deal is drawing closer as meeting nears
U.S. and Chinese officials say a trade deal between the world’s two largest economies is drawing closer. The sides have reached an initial consensus for President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to aim to finalize during their high-stakes meeting Thursday in South Korea. Any agreement would be a relief to international markets. Trump's treasury secretary says discussions with China yielded preliminary agreements to stop the precursor chemicals for fentanyl from coming into the United States. Scott Bessent also says Beijing would make “substantial” purchases of soybean and other agricultural products while putting off export controls on rare earth elements needed for advanced technologies.
Trump suggests canceling Xi meeting and threatens more tariffs after China restricts key exports
President Donald Trump says “there seems to be no reason” to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping as part of an upcoming trip to South Korea after China restricted exports of rare earths needed for American industry. The Republican president suggested Friday he was looking at a “massive increase” of import taxes on Chinese products in response to Xi’s moves. Trump says one of the policies the U.S. is calculating is "a massive increase of Tariffs on Chinese products coming into the United States." A monthslong calm on Wall Street was shattered, with U.S. stocks falling on the news. The Chinese Embassy in Washington hasn't responded to an Associated Press request for comment.
Load More